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2012 Mecklenburg County State of the Environment Report

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Residential Recycling

Residential per capita waste generation continues to decrease. Materials collected at Meckle​nburg County recycling centers and the Material Recovery Facility continues to increase. These positive trends are identified as goals in the Mecklenburg County Solid Waste Management Plan.

Residential RecyclingWhile Commercial and Construction and Demolition waste generation have declined in recent years, population increases continue to drive total residential waste generation upwards. Although the tonnage of residential waste sent to the landfill has increased, simultaneous increases in recycling rates and the recent economic downturn have contributed to a 9% average annual decrease in the per capita waste generation rate since 2006.

In 2010, Mecklenburg County invested over seven million dollars to convert the existing dual stream MRF into a single stream facility. The implementation of single stream recycling enables County residents to recycle a wider variety of materials in a more convenient manner. As a result, residential recycling rates have increased 12% County-wide since 2010.

The trends shown in the State of the Environment Report are not all based on tests of statistical significance. Data analysis, anecdotal evidence, and best professional judgment have been compiled to represent these trends. The State of the Environment Report takes a snapshot of important environmental indicators in an effort to educate the public while highlighting challenges, successes and the general direction of change for each indicator. For additional information on these indicators and the determination of trends, please follow the links and feel free to contact the appropriate resources.